


Just Realize What I Just Realized

by literaryoblivion



Series: Tumblr Ficlets [123]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Future Fic, Kissing, Love Confessions, M/M, Realization, Sharing, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-24
Updated: 2016-09-24
Packaged: 2018-08-17 00:23:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8123401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/literaryoblivion/pseuds/literaryoblivion
Summary: He’s never noticed it before; it’s always just been second nature to him these days, does it out of habit, but it’s not until he stops to actually think about it that it becomes abundantly and embarrassingly clear to him that he is in love with Stiles and that they are practically dating without the actual dating part…





	

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for [ladydrace](http://ladydrace.tumblr.com/) who gave the prompt: "Ugh, current events stink. -hugs- for a prompt, how about sterek and some of those little cute things couples do for each other just because their partner likes them? Like buying their brand of tea or bringing them lunch at work or leaving sweet post-its around. <3"
> 
> The tumblr post for this can be found [here](http://literaryoblivion.tumblr.com/post/150851464683/ugh-current-events-stink-hugs-for-a-prompt).

He’s never noticed it before; it’s always just been second nature to him these days, does it out of habit, but it’s not until he stops to actually think about it that it becomes abundantly and embarrassingly clear to him that he is in love with Stiles and that they are practically dating without the actual dating part…

He and Stiles hang out all the time, have even joked about how maybe Stiles should pay rent because he spends so much time at Derek’s. It’s the first place he goes when he gets off work, and lately he’s crashed on the couch or in the guest bedroom of Derek’s instead of actually going home. He’s over most nights and they eat together or go out instead, taking turns on deciding where to go or who’s cooking or ordering takeout.

Stiles is over so much at his place that Derek has taken to having his fridge stocked with Blue Moon beer, which Stiles prefers and also laughs about every time he sees it because “you know the moon, you’re a werewolf, it’s funny, Derek”. He also keeps a case of Red Bull or Mountain Dew in the back of the fridge for when Stiles doesn’t have time to drink coffee with Derek in the morning before he goes to work.

There’s a cupboard full of raspberry green tea and Earl Grey, both of which Derek uses sometimes but Stiles drinks more. His pantry has a couple bags of gummy worms and gummy bears, which he hates because they stick to his teeth, but Stiles likes to put on his ice cream, which a carton of is also in his freezer. (Along with a couple frozen pizzas that he’s pretty sure Stiles stashed in his cart when he accompanied him on his last grocery run.

Because Stiles stays over so often, he’s started leaving clothes and shoes at Derek’s place because Derek’s apartment is closer to work than his own, which is all the way across town. In fact, Stiles  now has his own drawer because Derek was tired of seeing a pile of Stiles’s clothes sitting on the floor by the couch or in the laundry basket, or strewn over a couple chairs in the kitchen. Stiles didn’t comment on the drawer thing when Derek yelled at him to use it instead of leaving his plaid overshirt on the floor, just said “Oh, this is way more convenient, thanks!” and stuffed his shirt in the drawer with the other clothes that had accumulated at Derek’s apartment that Derek had washed and dried and folded neatly in the drawer he cleared out.

Honestly, the more Derek thinks about it, while he watches Stiles pick out all of the snap peas from his box of stir fry and put it in Derek’s container (because Derek likes them better) and pull all the baby corn from Derek’s to put in his (because Stiles is a thief and Derek doesn’t seem to mind), the more he feels foolish for not picking up on this sooner. Of all the things he does for Stiles, of all the things Stiles does for him, like yeah, they’re really good friends, but really good friends don’t do each other’s laundry.

“What? Do you want to switch?” Stiles asks, snapping Derek out of his revery. He realizes he’s been staring at the box of Chinese takeout in Stiles’s hand this entire time while he mentally tallies all the ways that he and Stiles are a couple.

“Huh? Uh, no. I’m good,” Derek finally says, shaking his head and shifting his gaze up to Stiles. He gives him a reassuring smile, but Stiles doesn’t seem to buy it.

“You sure?”

Derek nods and starts eating from his own container to prove his food is good enough for him. He can feel Stiles stare at him for a few moments more before turning to his own food and to back to the show they put on as more background noise than anything they’re actually invested in watching.

He feels like he should say something, ask if he’s imagining this whole couples thing, that it’s not a big deal and that everything they do is still in the realm of friendship, but at the same time, he kind of doesn’t want Stiles to agree that it’s just that they’re such good bros. He kind of wouldn’t mind dating Stiles, making it official, be allowed to touch and kiss Stiles, because he’d be lying if he said he didn’t want to do that whenever he was near Stiles. He constantly has to restrain himself from brushing his hand down Stiles’s back when they’re out, pulling him in closer on the couch while they watch TV, inviting Stiles to sleep in his bed instead of on the couch.

He hadn’t want to upset the balance of whatever they had going because it was nice and comfortable, and what if Stiles didn’t feel that way about him, what if he was making it up or making a bigger deal out of it than it was. What if he completely ruined their friendship by confessing his feelings, forcing Stiles to distance himself from him because Stiles didn’t want it, him.

Derek hears a loud sigh and the TV shuts off, and he turns to Stiles with a look of confusion and worry. Maybe he’d been thinking too loud…

“Ok, what’s up, big guy? I’ve never seen you so angry at British bakers. You love this show! What is wrong?” Stiles asks, face projecting concern and what might be pity.

“It’s… nothing. It’s not… Nothing’s wrong. I’m fine.”

At this, Stiles face grows from concern to frustration, he even crosses his arms across his chest. “Nuh huh, no you’re not. We’ve talked about this. Just say what it is and get it out because I know you, and if you don’t say it, you’re going to brood about it for like a month and then take it out on me or some poor defenseless cashier at the store, like last time. So come on, what is it?”

“Geez, that was _one_ time, and there was a lot of other factors in play and you know it!” Derek retorts back, angry.

Stiles grins a little. “It was still embarrassing, and I felt so sorry for that girl. I’m pretty sure I saw tears.”

Derek rolls his eyes, fighting the smile that’s trying to force itself on him as he remembers what happened–how Stiles had to pull him away and apologize to the cashier, how Stiles knew exactly what had been bothering Derek and how to fix it. Stiles always knows what to do, how to read Derek and understand when he needs to be pushed, when he needs to be left alone, when he shouldn’t be left alone. God, Stiles is kind of perfect for him. Why didn’t he realize this sooner?

He feels the weight shift on the couch and looks over to see Stiles has scooted over closer to him. His face is so earnest while he looks at Derek, like he’s trying to read his face to find out what’s bothering him.

“Is it work?” Stiles asks. Derek shakes his head, and when Stiles asks, “Is it… your family?” Derek has to hold back the flinch at the question. It sounds like Stiles didn’t really want to ask it either, but it seems like Stiles isn’t going to back down until Derek tells him.

“No, it’s not family, or work, or the car, or my apartment. Well… maybe a little of the apartment, but only tangentially so.”

Stiles gives him a flat look because one of the things he doesn’t like about Derek is when he decides to be cryptic instead of forthcoming. But he stares and waits for Derek to say something.

After a few tense silent moments, where all Derek can hear is the clock ticking in the kitchen (the old-fashioned one that Stiles had made fun of at first until he realized it had belonged to Derek’s dad, and then he took to always looking at that clock for the time instead of the digital one on the microwave), Derek sighs.

“It’s just… I’ve been thinking…” he starts and then stops because how can he tell Stiles this without sounding ridiculous.

“As badly as I want to make a Beauty and the Beast reference,” Stiles mutters, “thinking about what?”

“You giving me your snap peas.”

Stiles stares at him, one eyebrow raised. “I always do that. They’re your favorite. I take your baby corn, you get my snap peas. It’s a fair trade, dude.”

Derek continues as if Stiles hadn’t said anything, “There’s Red Bull and Blue Moon beer in the fridge.”

“Oh, you got more? Good! Uh… I don’t really see where you’re going with this though, Derek.”

“There’s tea I never drink in my cupboard, candy I never eat in my pantry. Stiles, you have a drawer in my dresser!”

Stiles stares at him eyes wide, and oh no… whatever he said must have come out wrong, because Stiles’s face is starting to look more hurt than surprised and his eyes are shiny.

“What… what are you saying?” Stiles asks, and shit, his voice definitely broke.

Derek rubs a hand over his face. “This is coming out wrong. I’m not… I’m not _saying_ anything, I’m just… all those things, doesn’t it sound… odd? No, not odd, that’s the wrong word. Like… it’s not something friends do, right?”

“We’re not friends?” Stiles’s voice sounds hurt, but his face is starting to convey anger though.

“No. I mean, yes, we are, but… is that all?”

“All? What? I don’t… What the hell, Derek?” Stiles almost shouts, definitely angry now. “You are not making any sense, and it kind of sounds like you’re, I don’t know, don’t think I’m good enough to be your friend or something, and you sure as hell better start talking and explaining yourself otherwise I’m punching you in the face and leaving!” Stiles full out yells, standing up, his hands in fists by his side, like he’s ready for a fight.

He stands up too, hoping to calm Stiles down, or at least keep him from leaving. This has definitely escalated more than Derek was expecting, all because he can’t spit out what he wants to say.

“Stiles! Stiles, that’s not– Shit, I’m not… look, you are an amazing friend. You’re perfect, you’re funny, you’re kind, honest, sometimes brutally so, but it’s necessary sometimes. I love being your friend, I love that you’re my friend, but…”

“But?!”

“BUT,” Derek shouts before Stiles can start ranting or punch him in the face, “I love you!” He pauses because that’s not what he was going to say but it just kind of came out and it’s out and he doesn’t actually want to take it back, so he’s not.

Stiles is looking at him like he’s been slapped though, stunned, eyes wide, mouth open.

“Uh… what?” Stiles says on an exhale.

“I, Stiles, I love you. More than as a friend. And I think I have for a while, but everything we’re doing, been doing, it’s like we’re dating, but we’re not, and… I’d like to actually date you. I mean, if you want to, that is.” He looks down at his feet, too afraid to see what Stiles’s face might look like after his confession.

“Wow,” Stiles says, and Derek can’t quite tell how to interpret the word.

After a few more moments of silence between them, Derek’s starting to feel like all of this was a mistake, that he shouldn’t have said anything at all and now he’s ruined everything. He starts turning to walk away, to get away from Stiles, the situation, but a hand catches around his wrist and pulls him back.

Stiles puts a hand under his chin to tilt his face up to look at him, and when Derek finally does, Stiles is smiling, fond and caring, but it doesn’t look like pity, doesn’t look like a face one would wear to soften the blow of rejection.

“I’m an idiot,” Stiles finally says. “I’m sorry for being a huge idiot. I… I think I got too comfortable with the way things were to realize how much of one I was being or how I was falling in love with you and pretending I wasn’t.”

“You…”

With a grin, Stiles nods. “Yeah, buddy. I’m pretty in love with you, too.” His smile grows wider, “I wouldn’t share my snap peas with just any old friend, you know.”

Derek laughs. “I don’t clear out a drawer for just a friend, either.”

“I know.”

They both stare at each other, grinning, and it feels kind of cheesy, but Derek can’t stop or look away.

“I’m going to kiss you,” Stiles says.

“Please, do,” Derek replies. And once the words are out, Stiles’s lips are on his and they’re kissing, and it’s wonderful.

Stiles presses in more, wraps his arms around his neck, Derek following suit by pulling Stiles in by his waist. Stiles tries to get closer, but it’s kind of impossible, and all it does is cause Derek to lose balance and fall back onto the couch, Stiles falling down on top of him.

They both laugh a little breathless and when they’re laughs reside, they’re back to staring at each other.

“Does this mean I can stop sleeping on the couch or the guest bed?” Stiles asks, running his finger over Derek’s jaw line.

“You could. There’s the floor I guess…” Derek says around a sarcastic grin, and Stiles hits him in the shoulder, although there’s no real force behind it. “Oh, oh, you mean my bed? I guess that could work. But… what if you don’t like it?”

“Hmmmm, well maybe you should let me test it out, see if I’ll like it or not.”

“Okay. That’s probably a good idea.” He gives Stiles a sagely nod but doesn’t move. He bites back a smile at Stiles’s face, which is conveying something along the lines of “well?”

“Are you… are you wanting to test it right now?” Derek asks, faux innocence.

“I am going to punch you,” Stiles says, and Derek’s positive it’s an idle threat.

Derek laughs and pushes Stiles enough to get him to get off of him so he can stand from the couch, pulling Stiles with him. He takes Stiles’s hand and leads him towards his bedroom.

“You are such a punk,” Stiles says.

Derek looks back over his shoulder at Stiles and shrugs. “But you love me anyway.”

Beaming, Stiles steps up right beside Derek, using his free hand to pull Derek into a brief kiss before he replies, “Yeah… I really do.”

Derek’s too happy, his chest warm and full, to say anything back, so he doesn’t.

Instead he shows Stiles how much he loves him too with his kisses and caresses, by buying the things Stiles loves, by keeping a place for his things, by opening up his home and his heart so Stiles can fill it, fill him up, for the rest of their lives.

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on [my tumblr](http://literaryoblivion.tumblr.com) or [my twitter](http://twitter.com/lit_oblivion).


End file.
